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The Preacher opens by asking what lasting profit human labor can produce “under the sun,” then surveys the repeating cycles of creation and the frustrating limits of human wisdom.
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Ecclesiastes 1
The Preacher opens by asking what lasting profit human labor can produce “under the sun,” then surveys the repeating cycles of creation and the frustrating limits of human wisdom.
4 chapter sections.
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27 phrase-level groups · 2 general groups · 122 reciprocal source verses.
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Verses 1–3The Preacher asks what lasting profit man gains from all his labor under the sunVerses 4–8Generations, sun, wind, rivers, and human labor move in weary cyclesVerses 9–11What has been will be again, and earthly things are soon forgottenVerses 12–18The Preacher searches by wisdom and finds much grief in trying to understand life under the sun
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1The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king…2Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all…3What profit hath a man of all his labour which…4One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the…5The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and…6The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto…7All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea…8All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it:…9The thing that hath been, it is that which shall…10Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See,…11There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there…12I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.13And I gave my heart to seek and search out…14I have seen all the works that are done under…15That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that…16I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am…17And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to…18For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that…